EAG Announces BEHIND THE CURTAIN: A Virtual Tour Of The Beginnings Of Broadway

EAG will be taking a peek Behind the Curtain with downtown theater-maker Ralph Lewis of Peculiar Works Project for a unique look at New York City's earliest theaters. Through this virtual tour of the beginnings of Broadway, audiences will be introduced to images of its locations, its builders and managers, and the actors who made history on its stages.

Inspired by a rare 1851 book, Before and Behind the Curtain by William Knight Northall, Lewis shares the writer's passion for the struggles and the growth of theater in New York City, from a single venue to an entire Theater District. "The book brought together my interests in local theater, community building, historic preservation, and even circus arts, so every page continued to amaze me in a bigger and better way."

Lewis originally wrote and performed this "talk" on a curator's dare for the inaugural Lower East Side History Month at Tompkins Square Library. After its success earned an encore invitation from the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative, Behind the Curtain was developed in collaboration with director Jason Jacobs and visual designer Blue Bliss into an entertaining and informative one-hour solo show. Part storytelling, part history lesson, part personal revelation, Behind the Curtain is the down-n-dirty story of how the Great White Way was born and is tailor-made for anyone interested in American popular theater and its NYC history.

All proceeds from this special one-night-only performance will go to support the charitable programs of EAG. For nearly 100 years, EAG has been providing emergency financial aid and career support to New York City's professional performing artists in need. EAG can help qualified applicants with rent, utility, and medical bills; a food pantry; free headshots; scholarships and awards; and free monthly professional development and self-care workshops.

Learn more and purchase tickets at https://ticketstripe.com/eag-behind-the-curtain.